Thermochemical

Equations
Word Wall
Thermochemica Enthalpy (heat) Enthalpy Enthalpy
l equation of combustion (heat) of (heat) of
vaporization fusion

Think about being exhausted after a hard race, you will feel as if your body had
less energy than before the race. That tired feeling relates to the combustion
reactions that take place in the cells of your body, the same combustion you might
observe in a burning campfire.
Writing Thermochemical Equations

A thermochemical equation is a balanced chemical equation that includes the

physical states of all reactants and products and the energy change, usually
expressed as the change in enthalpy, ∆ H.
The thermochemical equation below shows the combustion of glucose;
C6H12O6 (s) + 6O2 (g) → 6CO2 (g) + 6H2O (l) ∆ Hcomb = -2808 KJ
Enthalpy (heat) of combustion (∆ Hcomb) of a substance is the enthalpy change for
the complete burning of one mole of a substance.
Standard enthalpy changes have the symbol ∆ H° .

What does the zero superscript indicate?

The zero subscript indicates that the enthalpy changes were determined with all
reactants and products at standard conditions. Standard conditions are 1 atm
pressure and 298 K (25 ℃ ).

Change of State
Liquid water changing to water vapor

Think of what happens when you step out of a pool, you shiver, as water
evaporates from your skin, this is because your skin provides the heat needed to
vaporize the water. As heat is taken from your skin to vaporize the water, you cool
down.
Molar enthalpy (heat) heat of vaporization (∆ Hvap) is the heat required to
vaporize one mole of a liquid.

Ice changing to liquid water

When droppig an ice cube in a glass of water, the water cools as it provides the
heat to melt the ice.
Molar enthalpy (heat) of fusion (∆ Hfus) is the heat rquired to melt one mole of
solid substance.
Both melting a solid and vaporizing a liquid require heat, therefore, they are
endothermic processes, and their ∆ H values are positive.

Thermochemical Equations for Changes of State

Vapoization of water is described by the following equation;
H2O (l) → H2O (g) ∆ Hvap = 40.7 KJ
40.7 KJ of energy is absorbed when one mole of water is converted to one mole of
water vapor.
Melting of ice is described by the following equation:
H2O (s) → H2O (l) ∆ Hfus = 6.01 KJ
6.01 KJ of energy is absorbed when one mole of ice melts to form one mole liquid
water.
What happens in the reverse processes, when water vapor
condenses to liquid water or liquid water freezes to ice?
These two processes are exothermic processes, as the same amoumts of energy are
released as are absorbed in the endothermic processes of vaporization and melting.
Therefore, the molar enthalpy (heat) of condensation ¿Hcond) and the molar enthalpy
(heat) of vaporization ¿Hvap) have the same numerical value but opposite signs.
The same happens with the molar enthalpy (heat) of solidification ¿Hsolid) and the
molar enthalpy (heat) of fusion ¿Hfus), they both have the same numerical value but
opposite signs.
∆ Hvap = - ∆ Hcond
∆ Hfus = - ∆ Hsolid

The upward arrows show that the energy of the system increases as ice melts and then vaporizes. The
downward arrows show that energy of the system decreases as water vapor condenses then solidifies
Calculating energy released and energy absorbed in a
reaction
Problem
How much heat is required to vaporize 166 g of water at its boiling point?

Solution
H2O (l) → H2O (g) ∆ Hvap = 40.7 KJ
Molar mass of H2O = (1.008 × 2) + (16.00) = 18.0 g/mol
Moles of H2O = Mass of water ÷ Molar mass of water
= 166 g ÷ 18.0 g/mol
= 9.22 mol
Heat required = 9.22 mol × 40.7 KJ/mol = 375 KJ

Combustion Reactions
Combustion is the reaction of a fuel with oxygen.
In our bodies, food is the fuel. Food provides the glucose that is burbed to produce
energy to carry on the activities of life.
We also depend on other combustion reactions in our daily lives to keep us warm
or cool, and to transport us in vehicles.
Methane is burned to provide us heat at home or to be used in cooking our
food.

CH4 (g) + 2 O2 (g) → CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (l) + 891 KJ, the combustion of one mole of
methane produces 891 KJ of energy.
Vehicles run by the combustion of gasoline.

25
C8H18 (l) + 2 O2 (g) → 8 CO2 (g) + 9 H2O (l) + 5471 KJ, the combustion of one
mole of octane produces 5471 KJ of energy.
The combustion of hydrogen provides the energy to lift a shuttle into space.

1
H2 (g) + 2 O2 (g) → H2O (l) + 286 KJ, the combustion of one mole of hydrogen
produces 286 KJ of energy.